Pinging your Internet Server

RIVER BENDER - September, 2008

It's frustrating when you're not able to receive e-mail or bring up a web site. You're not sure if something is wrong with your computer or your Internet Service Provider (ISP). You reboot but the problem still exists so you try calling your ISP. In the early days of Internet the usual answer you got was "nothing wrong here." After all, new PC users were pretty illiterate back then and had to accept the word of ISP support. But a few savvy users heard about a tool called Ping that let them check whose fault it really was. I heard about Ping in '95 when CoastalNet, the first Internet provider in New Bern, held a meeting at the Sheraton hotel to let users vent their frustration over all the downtime. I recall CoastalNet being surprised to find that users were pinging their server and had proof that their ISP was often at fault.

Ping is a software program created in 1983 as a tool to troubleshoot odd behavior on the Internet. It was named after the pulses of sound made by sonar, since its operation is analogous to sonar in submarines. Ping works the same way by sending packets of data to the Internet host and listening for a response that tells you the round-trip time in milliseconds and records packet loss. If you don't get 100% of the packets back something may be wrong at your host.

How to use Ping

1. Go to Start/Run and type cmd and click OK. Alternatively, go to Start/Programs/Accessories and click on Command Prompt.

2. The cmd.exe program opens in a black & white DOS screen with a flashing cursor.

3. At the cursor type ping followed by your ISP's website address (or their IP address) and hit the enter key. Example: ping suddenlink.net (or ping www.suddenlink.net or ping 208.180.42.11)

4. A successful ping indicates that the server is up and running. It will display the IP address (which for Suddenlink will be 208.180.42.11) followed by: Packets sent = 4, Packets received = 4, Lost =0. If some or all the packets are lost then the server is probably having a problem. Try again as it may be a temporary situation.

What to Ping

If you're unable to bring up a website, say like Google, and you're wondering if they're down ping www.google.com. I've found that secure websites like Merrill Lynch or Medicare don't respond to ping.

If you can't send e-mail ping your ISP's outgoing mail server, often called the SMTP server. If your ISP is Suddenlink then ping smtp.suddenlink.net. If you can't receive mail, ping their POP server. i.e., ping pop.suddenlink.net. Not all ISPs use the smtp and pop name. For example, Always-online uses the same server for incoming and outgoing mail so ping mail.always-online.com. You can find what the incoming and outgoing mail addresses are for your ISP by looking at the setup options in your mail program.

Some ISPs, like Always-Online.com, let you check their FTP server where your webpages are stored. Example: ping ftp.always-online.com.

Finally, you can ping your own PC and determine if your TCP/IP communications protocol software is working OK by ping localhost (or ping 127.0.0.1). If this shows up bad, don't blame your ISP but a call to them might get you some help in setting up TCP/IP in your PC.

PS: MS Bike Tour.

There's still time to be my sponsor in the MS Bike Tour on September 13-14. Pledge a couple bucks to the Multiple Sclerosis Society if I cycle 175 miles. See http://pages.suddenlink.net/davew/2008ms-150.htm and send e-mail to davewallace@xxxsuddenlink.net (remove xxx before sending).